[BC] An NPR branded Internet radio

[Jeff Carter]

It's a way to have us screaming at each other as opposed to thinking
about what is being done to us.  We make up our minds in advance and
then look for data that tends to support what we already believe as
opposed to research that challenges our position.  We feel, because
it's more entertaining than thinking would be to most people.  We have
not trained people to think in this country for many years, and then
act surprised when we end up with a nation of dumb asses.

Regardless of which end of the political spectrum you come down on.
it's pretty clear that only corporations and a very few very wealthy
individuals are properly represented anymore.  What segment of the
general population was really served by deregulation?  What portion is
served by the performance tax?

I have heard individual representatives and Senators referred to as
the "Senator from AT&T" or other corporation rather than from the part
of the country that elected him/her.  Lobbyists and special interests
write the legislation, and the legislatures no longer even pretend to
read them, unless it's to check that they themselves are exempt.

I'm not troubled by any of this and I'm not complaining, don't get me
wrong.  I think we are exactly where we're supposed to be as a country
based on decisions we made long ago.  We would have to make some very
hard decisions that nobody has the will to make in order to return to
reality, so I say let the band play on.

As individuals, however, we might take pause before going through with
the urge to call one another "Liberal", "bedwetter", "socialist",
"communist", "progressive", "conservative",  or "fascist".  None of
these appellations really have any true application to what's going
on, and they're all most commonly used by people who don't even know
what most of them mean.

It was a great country, but what goes up must come down.  In truth, I
don't really expect less corruption, but I don't think it's too much
to ask that I be able to participate in it fully.

Jeff/KD4RBG

On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 10:13 PM, Rich Wood <richwood at pobox.com> wrote:
>
> On another matter: I'm curious how Socialist kidnapped Liberal. Has
> the right-wing opposition to health care reform ("It's Socialism")
> used the term so often to cover so many issues that it's the
> all-encompassing definition of "I don't agree with you?" Socialism is
> as  bankrupt as any social system that welcomes greed, corruption and
> inequality. We're all now living with the result.
>
> Rich